UFC's Moraga says 'boring' talk blown out of proportion but stands by claim

SEATTLE – John Moraga (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) knew the minute he labeled UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) as “boring,” fans and media alike were going to focus on that claim. And while the flyweight title challenger thinks his comments may have been a little bit misconstrued, he sure isn’t backing away from that opinion.

“As soon as I said it, I knew that was going to happen,” Moraga told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “But you know what? That’s just me. I don’t like to fake it, front, nothing. You ask me a question, I’m going to answer you.

“Sometimes I don’t get to explain things the way that I really want to. That was my first interview ever really doing anything. But he is boring to me.”

Moraga first uttered those words in May, when UFC officials brought him to Las Vegas to speak with media members gathered to cover UFC 160. At the time, Moraga was a mystery to most fans and media alike, having competed just twice previously for the UFC, with both fights taking place on the unaired prelims.

“He just bounces around,” Moraga said in May. “He runs around too much. He doesn’t fight. He doesn’t put on exciting fights. He’s got a lot of technique and a lot of skill, but he doesn’t finish people, I don’t feel.

“I think he’s boring.”

Johnson and Moraga now meet in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on FOX 8 event, which takes place at Seattle’s KeyArena and airs on FOX. The quotes have been a focal point in the pair’s pre-fight buildup, and Moraga thinks there’s probably been a little too much attention paid to his words.

But he’s not suggesting they aren’t true.

“In my opinion – and they asked my opinion – that’s my opinion,” Moraga said. “The thing that I don’t like is reporters leave out one word here or there, and things get twisted around and it gets mistranslated and misinterpreted. That’s how things get blown out of proportion. They criticize me for saying he’s not a finisher, which is not true. I said he doesn’t try to finish people.

“There’s a lack of effort in what he does, and that’s the difference between me and him. I’m going to go in there and take the risks that I need to take to give effort to finish. I don’t feel he does that.”

Elementary analysis would seem to back Moraga’s claim. After all, his two UFC appearances each resulted in stoppage wins, while Johnson’s seven UFC bouts have all gone the distance. Of course, there’s something to be said about the level of competition each man has faced, but Moraga isn’t interested in splitting hairs. He knows critics like to suggest that flyweights don’t possess the power needed to finish fights, and he believes that’s a poor assessment.

“No one has power if you don’t sit down on your punches and you’re going to be moving your feet the whole time while you’re throwing punches,” Moraga said. “If you can learn how to move your feet and then sit at the right time? That’s what you’re going to see from John Moraga.”

Moraga is a decided underdog heading into Saturday night’s contest, but he’s not lacking in confidence. Training alongside UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson, Moraga believes he has all the tools needed to join “Smooth” as a UFC title holder.

“For the most part, [Johnson] plays it safe,” Moraga said. “He uses footwork. He’s cool with running around for the whole fight if you’re going to be chasing him, such as Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez both did to him. But you can’t play his game.